David R. Sands
Articles by David R. Sands
Russian reporter who protested war on the air has new job with German news company
The Russian television reporter who famously held up a poster during a live prime-time news broadcast protesting the war in Ukraine has a new job -- with a major German media company. Published April 11, 2022
Blinken ‘not overly optimistic’ as Iran deal talks drag on
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said Wednesday he was not "overly optimistic" that the U.S. and Iran can reach a deal to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, after weeks of speculation that a breakthrough in talks in Vienna was imminent. Published April 6, 2022
A Long March in April for Ding Liren, China’s No. 1 chess star
What was supposed to be a marathon has become a sprint for one of the world's best chess players as he hopes for a shot at the world title. Published April 5, 2022
Putin’s approval rate at home soars one month into Ukraine invasion
Western critics say his war is going badly, his economy is staggering and his advisers are misleading him. But Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval numbers at home are shooting up just over one month into his invasion of Ukraine, according to a new poll. Published March 31, 2022
Nakamura nabs slot in tourney to pick next chess title challenger
U.S. GM Hikaru Nakamura, after a long absence from over-the-board competition, has stormed back to snare one of the last two coveted slots on offer in the upcoming Candidates Tournament, the eight-grandmaster chess round-robin that will produce the next challenger to world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway. Published March 29, 2022
South Korea says North lied about advanced missile test
North Korea did not successfully launch a next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile last week in a test that alarmed and angered the U.S. and its Asian allies, South Korean military officials said Tuesday. Published March 29, 2022
Nobel Prize-winning editor ‘suspends’ publication over Kremlin’s Ukraine reporting ban
Novaya Gazeta, one of the last prominent independent Russian media outlets willing to challenge the government's view of the war in Ukraine, said Monday it will suspend publication after receiving a second warning from the Kremlin about its coverage. Published March 28, 2022
Biden not getting much backup in call for Putin’s ouster
U.S. President Biden's impassioned demand that Russian President Vladimir Putin step down for starting the war in Ukraine -- the climax of an emotional address in Poland over the weekend -- is not getting much support from the allies Mr. Biden is trying to unify for Kyiv. Published March 27, 2022
U.S., South Korea wary of North Korean claims on new ICBM launch
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says it was a new missile. Steel mill managers and agricultural engineers quoted in North Korea's rigidly censored official press say it was a new missile. Published March 27, 2022
Biden not getting much allied back-up in call for Putin’s ouster
President Biden's impassioned demand that Russian President Vladimir Putin step down for starting the war in Ukraine is not getting much support so far from allies. Published March 27, 2022
Top Zelenskyy aide expresses frustration with NATO summit
A top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday expressed frustration with the outcome of a series of meetings held by President Biden and other NATO leaders this week, saying many of the military requests Kyiv has been pleading for were not met. Published March 25, 2022
U.S. joins condemnation of major new North Korean missile test
The Biden administration joined Asian allies Thursday in swiftly condemning North Korea's latest missile test, an intercontinental ballistic missile that experts say may be the largest Pyongyang has tested this year. Published March 24, 2022
Biden, allies pressure Russia with new sanctions, deployment of NATO troops
President Biden arrived in Europe Wednesday for a series of high-level meetings on the war in Ukraine, with allies preparing to green-light a new round of sanctions on Russia and new deployments of NATO troops to Eastern European countries with a front-row seat to the fighting. Published March 23, 2022
U.S. officially declares Russian forces guilty of war crimes in Ukraine
The Biden administration Wednesday officially declared that Russia's invading forces in Ukraine are guilty of war crimes, escalating the standoff with the Kremlin and potentially making a diplomatic deal to end the monthlong war even harder to strike. Published March 23, 2022
Lawmakers press intelligence agencies to document Russian war crimes in Ukraine fight
A bipartisan group of lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee is calling on the nation's intelligence agencies to ramp up their work with "Ukrainian and international partners" to document possible Russian military war crimes as the invasion of Ukraine nears the one-month mark. Published March 22, 2022
India to host chess Olympiad after Russia’s bid is nixed
Russia's loss is India's gain. FIDE officials announced last week that the 44th Chess Olympiad, originally set for Moscow this summer, will now be held in the Indian city of Chennai. Russia lost the right to host the event as part of the backlash over its invasion of neighboring Ukraine last month. It will be the first Olympiad ever held in India. Published March 22, 2022
Russian Nobel laureate auctions medal to aid Ukrainian refugees
The Russian journalist who recently shared the Nobel Peace Prize said Tuesday he will auction off his prize medal and donate the proceeds to aid Ukrainian refugees. Published March 22, 2022
EU foreign policy chief accuses Kremlin of war crimes in Mariupol
The European Union's top diplomat on Monday said Russia is guilty of "massive war crimes" in its siege of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, echoing the words of President Biden that have infuriated the Kremlin. Published March 21, 2022
Biden warns China of consequences if it helps Russia in the Ukraine war
President Biden warned Chinese President Xi Jinping of consequences for supporting Russia's war on Ukraine, a senior administration official said. Published March 18, 2022
Biden talks with Xi, is expected to press China over supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine
President Biden held a virtual call Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping as the U.S. leader seeks to deter his Chinese counterpart from worsening the Ukraine crisis by bolstering its alliance with Moscow. Published March 18, 2022